Breaking the mould: Cycling UK names its 100 Women in Cycling for 2018

Breaking the mould: Cycling UK names its 100 Women in Cycling for 2018

In the wake of recent statistics suggesting that almost three-quarters of women never cycle, Cycling UK has released the names of its 100 Women in Cycling for 2018, a list which highlights and celebrates women who love cycling and encourage others to too. Women from all walks of life and every corner of the cycling world are included, from mountain bikers and endurance cyclists to community group leaders, cycling school-run mums and industry entrepreneurs – and even a pair of cycling suffragettes.

In particular, the list this year focuses on women who ‘break the mould’, achieving great things in typically male-dominated sectors of cycling, such as framebuilding and running mechanics classes, or simply challenging the idea that they should be held back by age, size, disability or motherhood.

Overall, cycling is still suffering from a vast gender gap; men are almost three times more likely to cycle than women, and on average cover four times as many miles.

To mark the 100 years since the Representation of the People Act of 1918, which first gave women in the UK the right to vote, the list also includes two cycling suffragettes: Rose Lamartine Yates and Millicent Fawcett. The bicycle played a remarkable and little-known role in the struggle for female suffrage, and became a symbol of women’s emancipation. Today, the connection between cycling and liberation still resonates; a recent survey by Cycling UK found that more than a fifth of female cyclists rate the ‘sense of freedom’ as their most important reason of all to ride.

By showcasing how any woman from any walk of life can cycle, the role models of the 100 Women in Cycling list are changing perceptions.

Julie Rand, Women's Festival of Cycling Co-ordinator

The release of the 100 Women in Cycling list comes just ahead of Cycling UK’s Women’s Festival of Cycling, a whole month of rides and events through July around the UK held to encourage more women into cycling.

Julie Rand, Cycling UK’s Co-ordinator of the Women’s Festival of Cycling, said: “By showcasing how any woman from any walk of life can cycle, the role models of the 100 Women in Cycling list are changing perceptions. There are teachers, campaigners and community leaders, and many have overcome illness or cultural barriers.

“This diverse group of women have all demonstrated in different ways how cycling benefits people’s lives, and they deserve to be recognised and celebrated.”